strawberry sweets and my latest picks from the news...

The latest news in Japan, as of my writing of this blog (Kyodo English) is focused on the radioactive water found inside the buildings adjacent to the nuclear reactors in Fukushima.

!?

This is serious.  The level is much higher than it should be and it is not getting any lower. Which means something is leaking...  However, we are being asked to stay calm since this is still indoors and is not an immediate threat to those outside of the building...PLUS there are multiple reports coming out as I type about the level and how high it is or isn't... There is still so much confusion and TEPCO is not making things better with the way they provide the information.

?!

As optimistic as I can be, this disturbs me not just because of the seriousness and chaotic information flow. The real threat is invisible. Although Japan has a history that shows us the devastating effects of radioactivity, it did not deter some of the people living in the power plant area from rushing back to their homes.

For people who had to evacuate quickly and empty handed, it has been a stressful 2 weeks. Some 50 or so residents from the evacuated areas went back to their homes to gather a few of their belongings and to feed their cattle (I can't imagine how bewildered the animals must be).
The residents have all been re-evacuated by the Japanese self defense force.

...

In the meantime, there have been demonstrations outside of the Tokyo Power Company calling for all the nuclear power plants in Japan to close.  This isn't being featured on the news but I have seen the tweets and a bit on the *NHK world news website.


*For the NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Company) world news website in English with the latest updates and radio on demand (click here).

Also please check out:

Marie Mutsuki Mockett has written another beautiful piece which can be read on the New Yorker blog, about her family in Japan.  You can read it here.

Sooooooo...

What am I doing between the news updates (that I try as much as possible to stay away from)?
Well, Monday through Friday was work at the office.  Since things are rather normal in our part of the country it all seems unreal when we can't deliver goods as fast as we usually can, due to the power shortages in Tokyo.  Most people are understanding.

And now for the relaxing part...
On Saturday, I had waffles...with whipped cream, custard...and yes, strawberries.

Good stuff!

As if that were not enough...today I had...

cream roll cake with strawberries

and I bought books...

Ape House by Sara Gruen and Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

The CDs were bought a month ago but I finally got them into my i-pod...

and I think I forgot to post this picture I took at my mom's house earlier this year...

Look for my fingers at the bottom of the picture for comparisons (my fingers are not gigantic)!

This is a strawberry.
:-)

Hope. Music. More hope.

herb garden 2009

There are reports that Spinach and other leafy vegetables from farms100km away from the power plants have been detected with radiation that exceeds the government regulated limits. This is rather distressing but more details should be released today. Right now some of the latest reports can be found here at the Kyodo English news site:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79856.html

I am not one to panic but this does raise my (already raised) interest in nuclear science and the effects of radiation... Some interesting sites I have found so far are:

http://mitnse.com/

MIT students of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering have a blog with information about the nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/

and then there was this information that I did not know about regarding the reactors in Japan which kinda frightens me as an American as well:

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/03/16/idINIndia-55640020110316

...and so, like in my last post...I must think. I am not going to panic or start a demonstration (just yet) but I do hope that this will be a good chance for the human race to admit that Mother Earth is much more stronger than we predict it to be.

Amidst all this radiation "hype" there is still some good news about people being saved from the rubble.
We have reason to stay...hopeful.

news flash

oooh...just heard on the news that the electricity that was cut off has been reinstalled to some of the reactors. They will have to run some more tests to make sure that there are no other damaged parts before they actually start sending electricity.

Hope.

...

One thing is for sure: we have some mighty heroic people (who did not build the reactors...); firefighters.

I have a renewed respect for these people who put their lives on the line to spray water on the Nuclear Power Plants in an effort to cool down the reactors. Their news conference was 100 times better than the TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) conferences because they were speaking in terms that are understandable and they didn't make any excuses or vague comments. They were prepared...not only for the news conference but for the actual event that they might have to help... which it seems, they did!

The spraying of water has resumed again today:http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79865.html.

...

Hope.

Some people trying to spread hope...

Monkey Majik members are out volunteering: Tokyo Hive

Daniel Kahl, originally from California, is a "talent" here in Japan famous for his fluency in the Yamagata Prefecture dialect.

His website http://daniel.domos.jp/ has a full page of links with all sorts of valuable information.

He has also posted this video on youtube as an appeal to media outside of Japan. This is the first time I have heard him speak in English since he is always using his fluent Japanese (Yamagata dialect) on TV!

I have been staying away from TV much of this time for various reasons...I use to work in radio so that might be one reason.

I find solace in, just sound.

In music.

Music.

Starship's We Built This City On Rock N' Roll was on the radio yesterday, and I couldn't believe how uplifting it was. So to bring things back to a bit of normality on this blog, here is an update on what's new in the music scene here:

Wonder Woman by Amuro Namie featuring Ai and Anna Tsuchiya. All three girls are of "mixed culture"!

The video is flipped (everything is a mirror image) I don't know how that is technically possible, but this might mean that the video will be pulled off youtube sooner or later.

Ai is also featured in a new song by the Bawdies, a group that sounds like...somebody...but I can't quite place my finger on who...
You can hear a snippet of the song at i-tunes here but there is nothing on youtube etc. as it was just released.

Here is a song by The Bawdies that I did find on youtube:

That's it!!! Tom Waits on too much caffeine!?! Maybe...

Another multi-cultured artist:

Maia Hirasawa is a Japanese/Swedish artist. Her official website is here:

http://www.maiahirasawa.com/swe/

Another song on the charts here is by Rake. There is a short snippet of a video on the first page of his website: http://www.rake.jp/

Music.

Also, if you are in the New York area, just FYI...

Sakamoto Ryuichi has a concert scheduled in NYC for April 9th.

Japan Society, New York - CONCERT FOR JAPAN

Hope.

A piece (you many have already seen) about hope by author Ryu Murakami in the Op-page of
The New York Times.

And for me one of the most hopeful sounds in the universe.

Music to my ears!

ROFLMAO :-)'

Japanese songs that topped the charts in 2010

The song that made many people cry last year was "Toile no Kamisama" (The Toilet Goddess).

There are many different gods in Japan and apparently there is one for the restroom! My mother use to tell me that if I cleaned the toilet my children would grow up to be beautiful. This made me think she was lying... o_O

The singer/songwriter of The Toilet Goddess, Kana Uemura was told by her grandmother that SHE would grow up to be beautiful if she made sure that the toilet was clean. So it seems there are different versions of the Toilet Goddess story!

The song is a true story written by Kana who use to live with her grandmother. They were like best friends until Kana started to grow up and grow apart from her family. After she leaves her home to go to Tokyo and become a singer, she gets called back one day because her grandmother is in the hospital. She rushes back to see her grandmother...The songs is a long song (about 8minutes) but it got lots of attention on the radio here in Japan.

Another song that got a lot of attention is "I Wish For You"by the group EXILE. They are a singing and dancing troupe that have doing in very well with CD sales and national tours. They also have their own TV show.

And, the third song that I would like to introduce today is by a trio called IKIMONO GAKARI (those in charge of the animals).

It is a song that doesn't not need any translation, at least the title doesn't (I think)...it is called "Arigato".

(They also have an "interesting" song called "Joyful"...

As for who I look forward to doing well in 2011...?!

I will be rooting for Monkey Majik...they have a new song out called "Sunshine" but for first time listeners, I think the following video will give you a better idea as to "what" they are.

By the way, their Japanese is REALLY good.

Their official is website is here.

I hope you finds lots of great music this year!

Amuro Namie and Sakamoto Ryuichi

One of the blogs I frequently visit is by the talented editor Moonrat...since she recently blogged about one of Japan's singing talents, Utada Hikaru, I thought I'd introduce someone else that pop lovers might enjoy.

Namie Amuro is a 31 year old pop icon in Japan.  She is originally from Okinawa and debuted in 1995.  I prefer her new stuff (her earlier work was produced by a famous producer that I don't really enjoy...).  My favorite is the song released in 2007 and used in a shampoo commercial...the video is really cute and it has a very nice 60's-ish look/sound.

and here is her latest hit Wild...

Namie's record company is the mega label AVEX... they are huge in Japan...

a couple of years ago they started to represent a few foreign artists as well, 

including Sugar Cult, a band I have had the honor of translating for on several occasions...

and along the same note...it is the same record company for the talented pianist, composer and sometimes actor...Sakamoto Ryuichi. 

 I went to his solo concert yesterday and blogged about it in my Music Flat blog...if you are up to reading my abstract review it is here: Kaleidoscope of Sounds.

I also must mention that I had the pleasure of shaking his hand last night...and I did manage to mumble a few things...

I learned something yesterday.... always be prepared... ALWAYS.  I had on an awful looking sweater and my hair looked like a bird's nest...I had NO IDEA I was going to be given the chance to meet him backstage...  

I vow never to under dress for a concert EVER...you never know WHO you are going to meet.

cherry trees, spring and song

The Sakura season has officially arrived in Osaka...but I haven't seen them yet...

The cherry trees near my house are not yet blooming...they seem to be frozen  since it started to get chilly again!

The above picture was sent to me by my dear friend Blossom in northern Kyushu.

The Sakura where she lives are blooming a tad bit faster and now look like this:

When I wait for spring the way I do now there is a song that pops into my head.  

"Haru Yo Koi" (Come Spring) by Matsutoya Yumi, aka Yuming.

My husband met her a long time ago...

He talks about this nostalgically and adds..."she told me that I am handsome".

Aahh, the things you say when you are drunk...lol

Anyway, this is the song, she has a "unique" voice and it gets stuck in my head like taffy to hair.

   

   

   

The lyrics are rather complicated but let me see if I can do a quick and rough interpretation here:

"Come Spring" 

A pale shade of light and the rain suddenly pours down
The daphne an image I hold dear
From the buds come pouring tears
and the fragrance, one by one

It comes, it comes beyond the sky and before long,
before long it comes for me

Oh spring, so far away you are
If I close my eyes you are right there
I can recall your voice that brought me love

My heart I sent to you
I am still waiting for a reply
No matter how many days or months pass by
I will be waiting, waiting

It comes, it comes beyond tomorrow, someday,
someday it will arrive

Oh spring, the spring I have yet to see
When I am lost and cannot move
In my dreams your gentle gaze embraces me

Oh dreams, early dreams I am here
I think of you as I walk alone
Like the falling rain, like the falling blossoms

(The song was written by Yuming and inspired by an old Japanese song by the same title.)

There are TONS of songs that are titled "Sakura"...if you look for songs with the word "sakura" in the title or lyrics there are even MORE.

New songs titled "Sakura" come out every year (I am not kidding).  I don't really have a favorite but there is one song that was released in 2002 and still gets lots of air play...

"Sakura" by Moriyama Naotaro.  This one (thank goodness) has English lyrics on the video...though a little hard to see.

Until the cherry blossoms are fully bloomed, I have a nice set of sakura things that Blossom sent me the other day! Thank you again Blossom!
Sakura bath salts, sakura motif towel, handkerchief, bookmark and a book of sakura trees in Kyoto!

Jeff Beck concert

I saw Jeff Beck in concert on Thursday night. He was, as always totally awesome. The ultimate guitar king... The whole band was great but OMG, his bass player was awesome too! She has a myspace site http://www.myspace.com/talwilkenfeld

I am going to try to write a more appropriate comment on the concert at the music flat when I have the time...
Just needed to mention, that it was a great concert...wish I could've seen the performance in Tokyo too. Jeff Beck played with Eric Clapton. Why does Tokyo always get to have all the fun?!

Mr. Big is back!

An American band that is very popular in Japan... Mr Big.  

(Has nothing to do with S&TC.)

They are most famous for their songs "To Be With You" and their rendition of the C. Stevens song "Wild World".  In Japan their latest hit was "Superfantastic", a song that was like an ode to the above two songs.

Paul Gilbert (guitarist) left the band in 1990 and Richie Kotzen took his place. However, Mr. Big disbanded in 2002 and went their individual ways.  Each musician has solo albums and other band projects going on but it is great to be able to see these guys back together again. (Richi Kotzen will not be in the band but he has his own solo stuff going on too.) 

I hope this will give the band a long deserved chance to be Big not only in Asia but their home country as well.  They are all very talented, I could not say this enough.  I will be going to at least one of their concerts in Japan to be held in June.

For more info in English 

http://www.myspace.com/ericmartinband

The CDs in the picture are autographed by Pat Torpey (drums) and Eric Martin (vocals) when they were in Japan to promote their solo work.  I had the wonderful opportunity of making special radio programs with them on several occasions and they were both wonderful people!

music released only in Japan by Alyssa Milano

There are some things on TV and on the radio that you can only see or hear in Japan. Bonus tracks only released in Japan and TV commercials with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Scarlet Johansson etc. Well, now thanks to Youtube, that is changing...

(Just type in the celebrity's name and "Japanese commercials"!)

Last night out of the millions of CDs in our home that we are currently downsizing, we found another extraordinary album (I wish we could open a CD shop.)  Alyssa Milano's second album ... titled ... Alyssa from 1989.  Only released in Japan from Pony Canyon.  Wow!